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Lake Travis’ Nixon explains 11th-hour flip to TCU

Lake Travis’ Nixon explains 11th-hour flip to TCU

It turns out Lake Travis senior running back Shaun Nixon can execute an ankle-breaking change of direction off the field, too.

After committing to Texas A&M as a sophomore, Nixon instead signed with TCU on signing day. The running back said Wednesday he visited TCU over the weekend and came away overwhelmed.

“When I went to TCU last weekend, it was like I had found my family,” Nixon said. “I felt more comfortable there and I felt like I could make an impact, not that I couldn’t have done that at A&M.”

Nixon said he and A&M parted on good terms, though it was difficult to tell A&M coach Kevin Sumlin that he’d had a change of heart.

“He wasn’t too thrilled with it,” Nixon said, “but this type of thing happens all the time. I have no hard feelings with A&M.”

Nixon’s decision leaves A&M without a running back in the 2014 class, but the Aggies have already received commitments from Rodney Anderson (Katy) and Jay Bradford (Splendora) for 2015. Plus, A&M returns its top four running backs from last year’s team.

Nixon said he made the A&M coaches aware that he’d be taking last weekend’s visit to TCU and said they supported him making the trip.

“They encouraged me to take the visit,” Nixon said. “I’d been committed to them since I was a sophomore and told me to make sure absolutely sure this was where I wanted to be.”

At TCU, Nixon quickly discovered that Fort Worth was where he wanted to go to school and play football.

“I had so much fun on all of my visits to Texas A&M,” Nixon said. “But at TCU I felt in my heart that this is where I needed to be. I’m sorry I decommitted (from A&M) but I felt like I want to be at TCU.”

In three years at Lake Travis, Nixon rushed for 3,753 yards and 50 touchdowns. A versatile back, Nixon also caught 93 passes for 1,147 more yards and nine scores. He added three more scores via kick return. After rushing for more than 1,000 yards in the Cavaliers’ run to the 2011 4A state championship, Nixon saw injuries hamper his junior season. He bounced back as a senior, rushing for a school-record 1,747 yards and 24 touchdowns, leading the team to the 5A, Division 2 semifinals. Along the way he rushed for 334 yards and five scores against Jesuit.

“He may be the most dynamic player we’ve ever had come through here,” Lake Travis coach Hank Carter said.